A charming 17th-century farmhouse in the rolling hills of the South Downs

‘My job was to accentuate all the bits of loveliness that already existed,’ says interior decorator Lucy Cunningham of her approach to decorating this Sussex farmhouse. She is not wrong about the loveliness: from the weathered flagstones and beautiful old oak panelling to its picture-perfect setting in the rolling hills of the South Downs. But while these elements may have provided a pretty solid starting point, it is Lucy’s decoration that has helped bring coherence to the house, parts of which date back to the 17th century. ‘It’s a charming old place, but there have been so many additions over the years and it’s quite higgeldy-piggegdly,’ Lucy explains, referring to the fact that there are multiple level changes across its three floors. ‘Quite a few of the ground floor rooms weren’t really being used, so we wanted to restore that sense of flow between the rooms and give them all purpose.’

The clients – a couple with two teenage children and two dogs, who have owned the house for the best part of 15 years – called on Lucy when they were mid-way through a sympathetic ground-floor extension, which was designed by local architect Pauline Sutton and now houses the kitchen and dining area. The plan was for Lucy to decorate the extension and to help finish off a couple of other rooms, although that soon spread to a few more rooms, including the entrance hall, downstairs loo, study, television snug, a bathroom and a couple of bedrooms. Now her eye is evident in almost every room, whether that be through the rich, earthy palette, or the addition of a few well-chosen fabric lampshades and cushions in spaces that were subject to more of a ‘light touch’ like the sitting room. ‘It was a real collaboration between me and the client, as she has got an amazing eye, some rather beautiful art and a wonderful stash of lovely old furniture that we could dip into,’ explains Lucy, referring to pieces like the antique X-frame chair and beautiful tapestry in what is now the study.

The decoration of the kitchen kicked things off. Although its proportions make it a very different space to the rest of the house, it sets the palette for the whole interior with off-yellow units and an olive green work-table-esque island, all by deVol. What had been the old kitchen became a generous entrance hall, providing the link between the existing house and the extension: reclaimed flagstones were laid, while Lucy had the walls painted in Edward Bulmer’s warm ‘Cinnamon’ and added a cosy seating nook next to the inglenook fireplace. ‘We wanted to create a space where you could linger and find a spot to read a book,’ explains Lucy of the deep built-in bench. An antique circular table, rug and armchair, all from the client’s stash, complete the room, which now doubles as an area for drinks thanks to the built-in bar that is hidden behind a pair of reclaimed doors. ‘There was already a little cupboard there, but we painted the insides in a glossy red to give it an unexpected glamorous edge,’ explains Lucy. ‘It’s fun including elements of surprise in a project.’

For the most part, however, Lucy and her clients were at pains to create an interior that felt like it could have always been that way. ‘We didn’t want anything to feel glaringly new and we wanted to soften what was there,’ explains Lucy. Off from the entrance hall, a small set of stairs lead to the sitting room, while another passageway leads onto what is now the study – a beautiful wood-panelled room that prior to the extension was a little-used dining room. ‘Now every room has a purpose and a regular use,’ explains Lucy. The panelling meant little could change on the walls, but Lucy has added softness and texture to the space with curtains made from Watts of Wesminster’s ‘Bargello’ and pretty lampshades made from vintage fabrics that she sourced from Caroline Marcq, who runs CMDC Interiors. Caroline is one of Lucy’s secret weapons and where many of the lamps, wall lights and vintage textiles come from, as well as some pieces of furniture. ‘I source a lot from Caroline for all of my projects and she’s a very dear friend as well as a close collaborator,’ explains Lucy. The smart wall lights hanging above the units in the kitchen are another Caroline find, as are many of the vintage textiles that have been made up into lampshades and cushions. ‘Old fabrics tied in really well with all of the pieces of furniture that the client already had and added to the feeling that the house had been this way for some time,’ explains Lucy.